Safety-spike for suspending underground safety-lamps.



No. 657,49l.

Patented Sept. 4, I900.

0. JAMES & A. PEARSON.

SAFETY SPIKE FOB SUSPENDING UNDERGROUND SAFETY LAMPS.

(Application'filed Oct. 7, 1899.)

.No Modem UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

DAVID JAMES, OF HENLLYS, AND ALFRED PEARSON, OF UPPER OWMBRAN,

- ENGLAND.

SAFETY-SPlKE FOR SUSPENDING UNDERGROUND SAFETY-LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,491, dated September 4, 1900.

Application filed October 7, 1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

nearNewport, and ALFRED PEARSON, engineman, residing at New Houses, Upper Cwmbran, near Newport, in the county of Monmouth,Wales, England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented a Safety-Spike for suspending Underground Safety-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a simple appli ance, termed a spike, for suspending the underground safety-lamps used by miners, though it may be used for suspending other articles, the principal object of the invention being to so construct the spike that while its sharpened end may be readily driven into the roof or shoring-timbers or elsewhere in the mine it may be readily withdrawn therefrom and when so withdrawn be protected, so that.

when carried about by the minerin his pocket the point is incapable of damage or injury to his person. i

The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of the invention; Fig. 2, an elevation of the cup-shaped head of the spike; and Figs. 3 and 4., sectional elevations showing the sharp end of the spike uncovered ready for driving into the timber and protected for carrying in the pocket, respec tively. Figs. 5, 5, and 6 are elevations, partly in section, of another form of the invention.

In carrying out our invention in all of the methods shown we employ a shield at to protect the point b of the spike 0; but referring for the moment to Figs. 1 to 4 we provide the spike c with a head (1 of a cupshaped character, which is secured to it by riveting, as shown, or in other ways. vcupshaped head may be made of brass or This 1 ing together. To protect the point b when Be it known that we, DAVID JAMES, colliery mechanic,residing at Machine House,Henllys,

the spike is out of use, we employ a tubular shield a, capable of being slid backward and forward on the spike c, and at the extremity of its travel in either direction it may be held securely in position. In Figs. 1 to 4 this is done by providing the shield at at one side with holes f and g and at the other with a slot h, a hole i also being formed in the spike. Into this hole is passed the bent or hookshaped end of a wire spring or locking-pin j, the other end of which is secured to the head d. Whenthe shield is in the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the bent end of the pin also passes through hole 6; but when such end is pulled out of the latter the shield a can be slid toward the right into the position indicated by Fig. 4, where it is held in .a position to cover the point I) by the pin passing into hole f. The spike as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 is ready for being driven into the roofing or shoringtimber of the mine, while as shown in Fig. 4 it is ready for carrying in the pocket of the miner.

In all the figures in this specification like parts are represented by similar referenceletters.

- Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, in place of the locking-pin we form a bayonet-slot k in the shield at and insert a stationary peg, pin, or projection l in the spike c, as will be readily understood. For greater security the shield in these figures may be held in either position on the spike by extending the pin Z, as shown in Fig. 5, and screwing such end. A small thumb-nut Z could then be placed on the latter and jammed against the shield a, as required.

As constructed under any of the methods shown, the spike may be of any convenient length and the parts he made of any suitable material, and it may be forced in any direction required into the material to hold it, so that the hook of the safety-lamp can be placed either on the shank of the spike or the cup-shaped head. When driven into overhead timber the end of the hook passes into the cup (1.

From the drawings and description it will be seen that the spike is very simple in construction is handy and compact, fulfilling every requirement of the miner for suspend- I ing his safety-lamp, and being in every way preferable to the unshielded spikes now in use, while having the advantage that it can be carried about in his pocket without risk of injury to his person.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is V 1. A- suspending appliance for miners safety-lamps and other articles consisting in the combination of a central spike c with pointed end I) and cup-shaped head d, shield Ct capable of being moved thereon and of being locked theretoin two positions, and holes f, g, i, slot h and pinjoperating in conjunction with said holes and slot to lock the shield at in two positions, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described,- a spike, a cup-shaped head thereon, a shield slidable 011 the spike, and a pin in the spike adapted to slide in a --slot of the shield and lock the shield in two positions, substantially as described. 1

'3. In a device of the character described,

a spike, a shield slidable thereon, a head on the spike, and a pin projecting from the head and adapted toengage the shield, substantially as described. I l V 4:. In a device of the character described, a spike, having a suitable head, a pin projecting from the head and passing through the spike, and a shield slidable on the spike and provided with a slot on one side to slide on the pin and perforations 011 the other side to be engaged by the pin, substantially as described. r

In witness whereof we have .hereunto set our hands in the, presence of two witnesses.

- DAVID JAMES.

ALFRED PEARSON.

Witnesses:

HERBERT MARSH, DANIEL GRIFFITHS. 

